Second Hatcher's Run

Feb. 5-7, 1865

As winter
began to show signs of turning into spring, active
campaigning began to return to the lines around Richmond
and Petersburg. In February Grant ordered another attempt
made to turn the Boydton Plank Road lines projecting
southwestward from Petersburg.

The impetus of this
operation came from Union intelligence reports that wagon
traffic on the Boydton Plank Road was heavy, thus a
cavalry strike against that artery might reap substantial
benefits.

CONFIDENTIAL.

CITY POINT, VA., February 4, 1865.

Maj. Gen. G. G. MEADE, Commanding Army
of the Potomac:

I would like to take advantage of the
present good weather to destroy or capture as much as
possible of the enemy's wagon train, which it is
understood is being used in connection with the Weldon
railroad to partially supply the troops about Petersburg.
You may get the cavalry ready to do this as soon as
possible.

U.S. Grant, Lt. General

Accordingly, Gregg's Second Cavalry Division was
ordered to take a roundabout route from Ream's Station to
Dinwiddie Court House to reach the Boydton Road, and
capture or destroy any and all enemy wagon traffic that
was found. To support Gregg and take advantage of any
Confederate responses were II Corps (now commanded by
Maj. Gen. A.A. Humphreys), which was to again take up a
position along Hatcher's Run, and V Corps, which would be
further south. Recent intelligence indicated that the
Rebel cavalry division of M.C. Butler had been sent to
defend South Carolina, which would leave Lee with only a
single mounted division (commanded by his son, Rooney) to
oppose Gregg.

Gregg moved out promptly on the morning of Feb. 5th
and reached the Boydton Road on Feb. 6th, but found it
virtually deserted. After scooping up a few prisoners and
destroying about 18 wagons, he was ordered to withdraw
and fall back on the supporting infantry.

On the 5th, Humphreys had taken two divisions of II
Corps out from behind the Federal lines to deploy and
intrench within about 1,000 yards of the main Rebel line
in the vicinity of Armstrong's Mill, a bit to the west of
the Vaughan Road crossing of Hatcher's Run. Humphreys's
line was thus facing north and the opposing Rebel line
was facing south. Late that afternoon, Heth made a
spirited attack on Smyth's division of II Corps, but was
driven off. One division each from IX and VI Corps were
sent to reinforce Humphreys.

Warren, with V Corps, had deployed to the south of
Humphreys, facing west and slightly south, along the
banks of Gravelly Run. Together the two Union corps
formed a bulge projecting westwards, with II Corps
holding the northern side of the bulge and V Corps
holding the western and southern sides.

It is apparent from the message traffic that Meade had
no confidence in the operation and was afraid of another
disaster to his army. He therefore ordered the entire
expedition to concentrate near Humphreys's position along
Hatcher's Run. On the morning of the 6th he wanted all
three of his commanders to probe outwards from their
lines to determine where the enemy was and what his
intentions were. Along the front of II Corps it quickly
became apparent that there was little prospect of action.
Federal patrols encountered virtually no Rebels except
skirmishers in front of the enemy works.

Warren was late getting started because he had not
understood Meade's orders to mean that he was supposed to
actually do anything. (His lengthy and confused
explanation of this in the OR is a masterful revelation
of Warren's own command inadequacies.) At about 1:15 he
finally got one of his divisions moving westward along
the road towards Dabney's Mill. At the same time Gregg's
cavalry would be probing southwards along the Vaughan
Road.

On the other side of the trenches, orders were issued
for Mahone's men to return to the main trenches, while
Pegram's division reconoitered between the Boydton Plank
Road and the Vaughan Road. Evans would hold the line
along Hatcher's Run.

Contact between Pegram's troops and the Federals was
made at about 2:00 p.m. On the Federal left, the cavalry
under Gregg were hard-pressed until an infantry brigade
was dispatched to their support by Warren. On the Federal
right, the fight became more serious.

At first, Warren's troops --- Crawford's Division, 3/V
--- were able to press Pegram's men back towards Dabney's
saw mill. But the advance was causing Crawford's men to
waver some, and when fresh Rebel troops appeared (Evans's
division, shifting over to the sound of the fight), the
Yankees were driven back in some disorder. A couple of
brigades from Ayres's Federal division restored the line,
but then Mahone's men showed up to hit the still-unsteady
Federals with a hard counterattack. Both Crawford and
Ayres were forced back, losing some men as prisoners,
before the arrival of more Federal reinforcements
(Griffin's V Corps division and Wheaton's VI Corps
division) stopped the Rebels. With nightfall coming
early, the battle sputtered out without much conclusion.

On the 7th, Warren had Crawford advance again to
recover the lost ground, which he was able to do against
very light resistence. Soon thereafter the Federal
expedition was recalled.

Casualties were light. Federal losses were around
1,500, total. Confederate losses are estimated at around
1,000, although Humphreys thought he inflicted that many
casualties on Heth's Feb. 5th attack, alone. Among the
Confederates killed on Feb. 6th was Gen. John Pegram,
recently married, who was killed in some of the last
fighting near Dabney's saw mill.

The Yankees connected part of their new line to the
old one, giving them a solid line of entrenchments
running all the way from the Appomattox River to Vaughan
Road along Hatcher's Run.

Although the operation had not attained its stated
purpose --- the destruction of the Rebel wagon trains ---
and had failed to inflict a serious defeat on the
Confederate infantry, it had resulted in yet another
extension of the Federal siege lines, making Lee's task
of holding Petersburg and Richmond just that much harder.
The return of good weather and hard roads could not be a
good sign for the Confederates.